Long past two days...

Delaney is still fiercely fighting off cycle 6 of chemotherapy, she is working very hard to recover. Yesterday and today have been very difficult to say the least. Things are very rough and hard at home for Delaney, Mommy, and Daddy as we take each day literally hour by hour. Yesterday, Delaney had her 2nd blood draw for the week, and her blood counts came back, she remains severely neutropenic, and her platelets are holding after two transfusions in four days. Yesterday, Delaney was still nauseous. Mommy and Daddy noticed that she was holding saliva in her mouth, not swallowing or drinking. This threw up a red flag and immediately we were on the phone with the BMT doctors at UCSF. Mommy and Daddy looked in Delaney's mouth and saw that the soft tissue in Delaney's mouth was turning white, and we could see she was in discomfort. To us it looked like she was getting mucositis. How we understand it is the soft tissue in Delaney's mouth or the mucous linings are sloughing off, a side effect of the chemotherapy she is receiving. We were told she may get this once she started chemotherapy however she did not get this until her last round of chemotherapy. Delaney had an appointment yesterday afternoon at UCSF to check her mouth and the BMT doctor said that it was the early stages of mucositis. There is nothing that can be given, it must run its course. When her counts start to recover is when the mucasitis will start to heal this could be 5-7 days. Only pain meds can be given, to curb the pain. It was one thing to see Delaney sick but now sick and in pain it is very hard for Mommy and Daddy both. Today Delaney had her third blood draw and her pain was no longer tolerable, so Mommy called the BMT doctor for them to prescribe pain meds and oxycodoen has been given to Delaney to fight the pain. Mucositis only makes things more difficult to manage, she will not swallow because it hurts so in turn she ends up gagging on saliva and vomiting. Our fierce fighter's plate is overflowing, she must contend with mucositis, vomiting, diarrhea, and neutropenia all at the same time. Just to try and manage it all Mommy and Daddy have been up the past two nights since 1 am helping Delaney. Delaney also had a visit from her home health nurse to see her progress, Delaney looks good but she is in much discomfort, to the point where she will not open her mouth. The days are long, demanding, stressful, and exhausting, but one look at Delaney and we find all the motivation we need. Thank you for all the prayers, love and support. As always....... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"